In the Absence of Hope
by sometimesknownasginger
Summary: They have taken over world after world, and now they threaten Earth. Nothing can stand against them, all who have tried have perished. In the absence of hope, there are only two who can save us. One is gentle and kind and the other, strong and aloof. They
1. Prologue

-1_In the Absence of Hope_

Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Let's keep this short and sweet. I do not own the characters from Card Captor Sakura.

A/N: While this is not my first fan fiction, I hope you will excuse any mistakes I have made. I'm a bit out of practice. This idea begged to be written, so here it is.

_And so it began…_

Down the dark, gloomy streets she ran, crystalline tears flowing. The tall dark buildings leaned over her as though they hungered for her blood. They did. This world, it was not hers. Dark and alien, it reeked of death and pain. So, she ran. Her breath came in deep gasps as the oxygen her body needed was denied her and crimson flowed down her side, ruining the silk of her dress. She stumbled, hand pressed to the gaping wound, but she ran. She refused to go back to Them. To Their master. It was all because of him. Yet another sob ran through her weak, trembling body. She wanted only to rest, to lie down in defeat. She wouldn't-she couldn't! They were behind her.

They carried weapons of a kind she had never seen. Weapons that filled her with fear, for They could only mean one thing-_death_. As They walked along, all light disappeared. In _Their_ presence, only dark was permitted. No, it wasn't dark…it was complete absence of light. Of hope. These creatures grumbled and they hunted. She left behind a trail of crimson blood and they hungered. One of Them, tall and dark, leaned over and touched the ground. With an animalistic grunt, he and his companion lumbered on. They were in no hurry. She could not hide.

She turned a corner to find herself before a wall. They would be there too soon, it was time for her stand. So she turned to meet Them, surveying her surroundings as best she could. The alleyway was narrow, an advantage. She was small, elfin and graceful, she would have full range of movement, though slowed by pain and blood loss. With their large bodies, They lacked her grace and speed…but They were strong. They would win. Still, she had no choice, she could run no longer. She stood to her full height, small as it was, and lifted her necklace with its silvery pendant over her head. With whispered words there was a flash of light, and in her hands was a tall oak staff with a curved blade attached. Her glaive. She bowed her head, auburn hair flowing with a solemn beauty down her back and across her face. She sighed. "I am sorry, my love. I have broken my promise." She whispered, remembering the last time she saw him.

_He stood before her, one tear trailing down from mahogany eyes. "Lover," He whispered, "Come back to me." He took two steps forward, grabbing her arms and looking deep into her vivid green eyes. "You MUST come back to me!" He said, his voice cracking with barely controlled emotion. With that he pressed his lips to hers, forcing her back against the cool wall. His lips were forceful, burning her with his heat. He roughly deepened the kiss, tasting her for what he knew would be the last time. His tears mixed with hers, both tasting salt, tainting the sweetness of the kiss. His arms around her tightened, bruising her as she sought to pull them together, to meld them into one. A cry from the cradle in the corner of the room startled them and he pulled away to allow his lover to go to their daughter. _

_She walked to the cradle, lifting her child into her arms one last time. Tears ran down her face as she hummed to her daughter, rocking her gently. The infant refused to be shushed and her tears fell with her daughter's. Emerald eyes met their likeness as mother stroked daughter's wispy amber curls. She fell slowly to the floor, and her lover rushed to gather them both in his arms. She turned her face to him, hiding her tears in his neck, one hand gathering the fabric of his shirt as her other arm cradled the wailing child. She met his eyes, determination in her emerald eyes, "I promise, I will return." _

_The door opened behind them, and she knew it was time to go. She stood, pressed a kiss to her daughter's head, and placed her in his arms. "Good bye, my loves." She said. And then she walked away._

One last tear ran down her face as she felt their approach. She straightened and whispered the words that, with her death, would pass the key, her glaive, on to the destined one. Her eyes met theirs with a glow of determination. As she summoned her power an unnatural wind swirled about her, strands of her hair flying around her. Silver light grew around her. She was a goddess, giving her eternal life for the ones that she loved, the ones that could not protect themselves, the ones who had no idea of the war about to be fought over them. Then, without a word, They attacked.


	2. Chapter 1: Memories and Training

-1_One Last Stand_

Chapter One:

Memories and Training

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CCS and am using the characters without the intention of making a profit.

A/N: I know it took me a long time to write this, it finally came to me yesterday when the net was down. So, here it is.

_Her daughter was just as beautiful as she…_

_The man clutching his squalling infant daughter to his chest as tears ran down his face. The necklace, in its cursed beauty, had appeared in the child's hand that morning. His lover was dead. Within moments, the child had quieted and fallen into an exhausted sleep. He walked to the cradle, laying her down upon the silken sheets and covering her small form with the blanket his wife had spent weeks crocheting. _

_"My love." He ignored the whispering that his heart longed for. She was dead, damn it! No amount of wishing could bring her back, but his mind, his heart, continued to trick him as he heard whispers of her existence. The wind rustled in from the open balcony, and he moved to close the doors, silken fabric twining about him in the sudden breeze. He stood still for a moment, the winds caressing his form. Then he closed the doors, the room suddenly quiet. He turned, only to be confronted with the glowing form of his beloved. _

_She stood tall, dressed in flowing silver silk, her auburn hair flowing down her back, blowing in a spiritual wind. Her elfin feet were bare, making no noise as she padded towards him. She stopped in front of him, a foot separating them. "I only have a few moments, my love." She said, her voice soothing. She turned, walking to look over her only child. _

_"She, my love, is our hope. She must train…" He jumped in, "Nadeshiko, love, no. I've lost my love, I will not lose my daughter as well!"_

_She closed her eyes, "Love, you have not lost me…I will be waiting for you, watching over you. She must train. They have destroyed two stars in the past month, enslaving the orbiting worlds. They will overtake Earth, and when They do, the cherry blossom and the wolf will be the only ones who can save us all. The destined two will be more powerful than I could ever have been, and they shall prevail._

_"You must lead our resistance, until the little wolf is of age,. You must build our army, the chosen two cannot save us without all of our help. That is your task, that and protecting our daughter until the time is right." Her glow flickered, and tears came to her eyes. "My time is up. Remember always that I am waiting. Very little can still true love, not even death has that power. Goodbye, my love." She reached out to the babe asleep in the cradle, and whispered, "Goodbye, Sakura. You will be beautiful and strong, loving always. And that is all that I could ask." With that, she was gone._

Kinomoto Fujitaka, leader of the underground resistance, shook himself from his thoughts as the sounds of fighting drifted in on the wind through the open balcony. He shook his head, walking over to the balcony to watch his daughter spar with her partner in crime, Li Syaoran. Sakura's thin form moved with a grace that reminded him all to much of Nadeshiko. He smiled to himself as he watched them.

Where Sakura was quick and light on her feet, Syaoran was tall and strong. Both had their advantages over the other, but for some reason neither could best the other. Today they fought hand to hand, punching and kicking, blocking and dodging. Each landed blows, but neither stopped. Sakura attempted to sweep Syaoran's feet from under him. He went down, rolling gracefully back to his feet. He grasped his jade pendant in his hand, transforming it to legendary sword known as Wolf's Friend. He brought his blade to bear upon Sakura, forcing her to dodge left and right. With a quick slash he sliced through Sakura's training shirt, revealing creamy skin where the jade silk gapped open.

"Dammit, Syaoran, Tomoyo's going to have my ass for that. This is the third shirt this week!" Sakura griped as she reached for her pendant. It came to her hand, humming, ready to please. It never ceased to amaze her how this small pendant could be so full of life. At her touch and thought, the key transformed to the sword she had named Night's Bane. It was a capable weapon, gleaming with a deadly sheen and an internal light. Most days she would have brought out her glaive, forcing Syaoran to change his weapon, but today she felt like a challenge.

Syaoran's laugh forced her to attention. "If you would move a bit faster, Tomoyo could stop being angry with you, Flower girl."

She smiled at the nickname, bringing her sword up to block his. Metal whispered on metal as their blades slide apart. She swung her blade to the left, coming up in a crescent to meet his blade over their heads. "If you'd stop slicing my shirts to pieces, she'd like you a lot more. Besides, this was one of my favorite shirts!" She said, pouting.

His baritone laugh gave her a thrill she didn't quite understand. "Perhaps she had just spent too much time around him?" She thought as she moved to block his attack. "Besides," He said, "I much prefer the one you wore yesterday."

"Why's that?" She asked, moving to strike him. "It showed more cleavage." Syaoran smirked as she turned a very deep shade of crimson. Sakura made a soft growling noise in her throat as she put her all into one last strike, only to end up pressed against him, their swords held to the side.

She inhaled, his body and hers were pressed together in a way she only remembered from those dreams that she sought to forget. He held his breath, she was so soft, pressed against him, her face tilted to hers. Her lips suddenly look all too kissable, petal soft and moistly pink. Green eyes met amber as a rush of emotions flooded their bodies. This was not something they were used to. They were friends, right? Both dropped their swords as his hands moved to brush a few strands of hair away from her face and as her arms gently encircled his waist.

Just as he began that slow decent to touch their lips together, and she slowly rose to the tips of her toes, the evening bell rang, sunset coloring their surroundings. The shock of the bell sent Sakura falling into Syaoran, both landing in the dust of the courtyard. The peace of the hour broken only by the whisper of the wind and the soft squeal of Sakura as they hit the ground.

"Sorry about that, Little Wolf." She said with just the barest hint of a laugh in her voice, body still pressed against his. "What were you doing, trying to kill me?" He teased, his voice slightly husky from the near kiss. His arms were wrapped around her, their swords in the grass a few feet away, where they had fallen during the almost kiss. "I guess training is over then," she laughed, "and we both desperately are in need of a bath." With that, Sakura rose to her feet, walking away from the slightly stunned and somewhat bruised young man to pick up her sword and transform it to her pendant. Slipping it over her head, she turned and walked away. He slowly rose to his feet, grinning ruefully, "I suppose training is over then." He whispered to himself, making his way to his room for a bath before dinner.

On the balcony, Fujitaka still watched, knowing that soon this peace would give way to a chaotic darkness unlike any they had known. The training of the chosen two would soon come to an end, they had mastered all of the many skills that were needed, and in a time shorter than any before. Soon they would be fighting for their lives. For Earth. But now was not the time to worry, all was prepared. There was dinner and relaxation, and then bed. There would be a tomorrow.


End file.
